We like to say we're in the heart of River North.
The location here is also the former iconic Howard Johnson's location.
We're so excited about involving our residents in learning about what the sculpture is about
and the idea of bringing other artists and musicians, writers, great chefs into the building
for programming.
It was very important for the aldermen that we interact with the community and we immediately
embraced that concept.
It's very difficult to carve out any space for a blade of grass in downtown Chicago.
We were able to negotiate almost a 10,000 square foot open green space park and most
importantly a beautiful sculptural element.
River North has a history of supporting the arts.
It's been home to our gallery district for decades.
So the opportunity to have a famous sculptor displaying his works in the middle of the
neighborhood was exciting to me.
Any young family will tell you when they're looking at a neighborhood to live in, not
only does it require beautiful architecture and a good quality of life, they also need
open space for their children to be outside and get to know their neighbors.
That brings a sense of community that large buildings and concrete can't.
I think all the credit has to go to Tom Curwin at BKL, design architect of this property
in collaboration with Rosenthal Gallery.
I've been around the piece for some time, I saw the maquette, I met with Powell over
many months.
I still am fascinated myself, so I can imagine somebody living there and exhibit will do
the same.
That's something with stone that I think is very interesting.
It has already, the ready sculpture within it, it's in there, I just have to reveal it.
All the lines are not curved, they are completely straight lines and still it looks curved.
How can it look so curved when it's straight lines, it's only formed by straight lines.
You get a feeling of that it's leaning while it's standing, absolutely, vertically.
Then if I turn it, it suddenly looks like it leans the other way.
It is to fool you, artists want to fool you, but in respectful ways you get interest.
There's one thing that is so strange, in this mirror you will see a horizontal landscape
and then it will be mirrored vertically.
You will start to look and it starts questions and then you have to analyze that and then
you are already captured.
But then you will be more observant when you go out in the city and you will start to look.
This park will be an incredible gift to the community as well as our residents.
It offers relaxation space, green space and dining space.
The investment in the public art is unique for exhibit, you don't typically see that
in residential buildings.
So in that sense it becomes a landmark in the city because it's unique, it has this
beautiful work of art right at its doorstep.
Architecture is about creating places and spaces for people to live and work and in this case
live and experience, hopefully elevate their daily life by their interactions with this
building, this new green space and this beautiful work of art by Powell.
